Key Takeaways
- What Is Happening: The Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) is soliciting public comments to inform two reports it is developing pursuant to Governor Kotek’s Executive Order 25-29 (EO 25-29), which directs Oregon agencies to adopt and develop strategies for reducing Oregon’s greenhouse gas emissions. The ODOE reports will provide recommendations on: (1) reducing barriers to clean energy development; and (2) opportunities to improve the Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC) process for permitting large-scale energy infrastructure. Both reports are due to the Governor’s Office by September 1, 2026. You can find Beveridge & Diamond’s summary of EO 25-29 here.
- Who Is Impacted: EO 25-29 seeks to accelerate Oregon’s transition to a “clean energy economy,” and its related efforts most directly affect stakeholders involved in the development of utility-scale generation, storage, and transmission—especially projects subject to permitting by EFSC. EO 25-29 also seeks to streamline siting, and landowners, right-of-way holders, tribes, and local governments may also be interested in affecting meaningful changes in related permitting processes.
- How to Respond and When: ODOE is accepting written comments through 5 p.m. on Friday, March 20, 2026, via its online portal. After publishing a draft report, ODOE will solicit a second round of public comments.
Reducing Barriers to Clean Energy Development
The first report ODOE must develop concerns barriers to clean energy development. ODOE must assess barriers that slow or prevent large-scale renewable energy projects from moving through the approval process, including obstacles in permitting, construction, and interconnection. The report aims, in part, to explain why some projects have remained unconstructed even after receiving site certificates from EFSC.
Streamline Clean Energy Siting
The second report due to Governor Kotek concerns energy siting. EO 25-29 directs ODOE to examine the EFSC siting/permitting framework and identify opportunities for improvement. If ODOE identifies opportunities, it must make practical recommendations to streamline existing processes or accelerate interconnection for clean energy projects.
Conclusion
The ODOE reports and the public participation process provide an important, and possibly unique, opportunity for stakeholders to contribute ideas for improving, simplifying, and accelerating the process for developing renewable energy infrastructure in Oregon. Oregon stakeholders should take the opportunity to develop ideas for process improvements and submit them to ODOE. Beveridge & Diamond has prepared a comprehensive report recommending permitting reforms to accelerate the development of green economy infrastructure in Washington that may serve as a guide for recommending reforms in Oregon.
